Monday, March 5, 2012

Better Than Candy ROASTED VEGETABLES

Who knew vegetables could be snatched up and snacked on all day like candy? I realize roasting veggies is a common way to prepare food, and also very simple just like boiling an egg BUT...I've learned TIPS to take the roasted vegetable from good to absolutely delicious! All three of my boys clean their plates when I serve brussels sprouts this way...

Mom says "eat your vegetables". And thankfully she just amped up the normal roasted veggies in a hip-new-Mama-prepared way! My Mom recently taught me how to prepare roasted vegetables PERFECTLY. But the big secret is that you must follow all of these tips and use the right tools too. If you modify them, I can't promise that you'll prefer your veggies over candy. But...if you stick with the tips, you'll be in veggie candy heaven. Promise.

My Mom sharing her secrets with me

&

My Mom's roasted cauliflower for Christmas morning breakfast

~ TIP 1

Use an oil mister instead of tossing in a bag of oil (please do, it makes ALL the difference)

I used to roast vegetables like these jewel-roasted veggies, tossed in a bag with olive oil. That is the first and most important change made: no more tossing them around in a bag of olive oil. When you do this, the oil doesn't evenly coat your veggies and too much oil is used, making both texture and taste less than ideal. Instead, invest in an oil mister. I use a Prepara oil mister. The diffusers softly and lightly coat vegetables with just a delicate mist of oil. Your food won't be heavy with oil or won't be visually unappealing. This improves texture and is healthier too! You'll also want to use cold-pressed olive oil.

~ TIP 2

Use Microplane products to lightly grate quality cheese over the top directly after they are removed from the oven.

Using just a teeny tiny bit of Parmesan cheese will enhance the flavor without sabotaging a healthy diet. The beauty of a Microplane grater is that it grates SO fine that a handful of cheese is light as a feather. Just a little bit goes such a long way. You use less cheese but still get the full flavor. Be sure to use quality blocks of cheese. It is more expensive but it lasts a long time.

Notice how airy and light these cheese grates are. There is no compassion to a good block of cheese shredded with a Microplane and the pre shreds of Parmesan you can buy.

Please don't substitute.

Microplane graters are "must haves". Oh my goodness, these things are AMAZING! My friend, Jil, an exceptional cook, who prepares gorgeous food, first introduced me to the Microplane nutmeg grinder last spring. My mom later bought me a mini collection of Microplane tools that I use ALMOST daily. I got rid of my old cheese graters and old Parmesan graters and will only be using Microplane products now.

These are much sharper than old graters, making it a super quick task to shred cheese. Remember, if we are going to indulge in cheese, quality and freshness count! Those "convenient" bags of shredded cheeses aren't worth eating. Buying a block of good cheese and using a Microplane is almost equally as convenient and the taste is far superior.

So pretty.

Okay! So back to topic. Those two tips will make your roasted vegetables taste better than candy.

Putting it all together:

1) Wash and cut your vegetables. I get very lazy rushed when chopping food and often don't cut off the ends of my brussel sprouts, etc. Oops. But cut your veggies first.

2) Spread in a shallow pan. Don't overlap too much because you want each veggie bite to be roasted well.

3) Mist with a Prepara oil mister using cold-pressed oil. You can liberally pump and mist because it is such a light coat that even if you pump a lot, it's still a little. {wink}

4) Season. I use garlic salt and parsley. But yes, please season.

5) Roast in a 400 degree oven about 30 minutes or until crisp-tender. Allow the veggies to get dark and toasty. This makes it GOOD.

6) After removing from oven, softly sprinkle with your "light as a feather" grated Parmesan cheese.

For a variation, I also roasted butternut squash, blue cheese, and fresh basil. MmmMm.

Oh my these veggies look delicious!! On a side note, I noticed you have tillamook cheese in one of your pictures...They sell that in Colorado??? I live in Oregon but am transplanted from Kansas and had never seen it until I moved out here! Best. cheese. ever. period. I am definitely going to try all of these. My kiddos are good veggie eaters but switching it up is always better!! Thank you for sharing!!

Thank you for your kind comment on my blog today. Actually I have been following your blog for a few years now. I loved this post and am dying to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing and again for reaching out ot me. ;)

FANTASTIC tips. I made roasted asparagus the other day and while my husband LOVED it, I thought it was too oily. The mister will solve that problem! As for the cheese, now he's going to love them either more. Found you through CG's link party!

I just can't get how to use those grating planes without scraping all my knuckle skin off into the bowl!!! I must be more uncoordinated than I thought!!! They do make the nicest grated foods, though! I'll try again...I may have to just wear a catcher's mitt while I'm doin' it! :-)

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I'm Lisa, I am passionate about the beauty of life. I'm a lover of the seasons and find happiness in all details. Entertaining, parties, and home decor energize me. My husband of 13 years is my ultimate best friend and my 3 boys make my heart smile daily. I love deeply, feel deeply, and live deeply.